Packing Guide: Car Camping
Hi! Hello! Nice to see you again. We have been hunkered down at home for the past four months and are taking our first adventure to the middle of the woods (to continue our social distancing) this upcoming week. I am definitely nervous to interact with the “public” again, but hopeful that we won’t be close to many people. Our masks are packed either way! We are headed to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to car camp for four nights and get some hiking in. We are actually right at the one-year anniversary of our trip to Banff so it only seems right to hike in our own “backyard” to mark the occasion.
Before we go, I want to share a bit about how we pack for car camping. We are certainly not experts in this matter and probably should pack less - but we are learning! We have camped quite a bit together, as far out as a field in Washington State during a music festival to Jordan Lake right here in North Carolina. We typically bring our dog, Luna, but are leaving her with my parents in Boone as dogs are not welcome on the trails in the Smokies. Four nights is definitely our record so I will update you on our success after we return :)
See below for some of our favorite car camping essentials and luxuries. That is the brilliance of car camping - room for all the extra crap!
Sleeping Essentials:
Sleeping (or lack of) while camping is everyone’s fear. A night rolling around on the ground is a huge turn off, especially if you are out there for more than one night! We have gone from sleeping on pads on the ground to air mattresses that always deflate by morning, and this time we have upgraded to cots. We are very excited about these roomy cots and will report back on our successes. We also upgraded a few years ago to a cabin-style tent. We had been using our tiny backpacking tent to start and finally outgrew it once Luna joined the party. For two people and a dog, this four-person tent is roomy and has lots of space for a little table, dog bed, two cots, and gear. The screened windows all the way around let in plenty of air and it is definitely waterproof - as every camping trip we’ve ever been on has resulted in at least one night of rain. No leaks for us! A few tent tricks - place a tarp down underneath during set-up, bring a little welcome mat for outside the opening to keep your feet clean during shoe removal, and consider a blanket underneath the cots to protect the tent floor from any potential tears.
For sleeping comfort, we are bringing our sleeping pads for the cots (they pack extremely light and small), sleeping bags, REAL pillows, and a light sheet if it gets too hot for sleeping inside the sleeping bag. We also have some solar-powered string lights (our luxury item) to keep the space well-lit for nighttime reading and relaxation!
Tent | Sleeping Cot | Women’s Sleeping Pad | Sleeping Bag | Low Table | String Lights
Camp Kitchen Essentials:
Ah, my favorite part of camping - the FOOD. We love to lean in to camp food while we are out. Think s’mores, burgers, chilaquiles, etc. We slowly have been building up our kitchen supply and this list might be a little *extra*. You obviously do not need all of this to get through and some people love to stick to hot dogs with twigs from the ground - we will do that too! I grew up camping across the US in a camper though, so my expectations for camp food can be high…
To start, set up your dining room. We recently purchased this screen canopy and it was a lifesaver on our last trip. It provides some shade over the picnic table and keeps the bugs out at night when you are trying to prep food or just eat in peace. There is no ground cover, so it goes up quick! You can also tie two sides up completely so it is easy to pass through. Definitely a luxury item, but I think it is worth it for a multi-day trip. For the picnic table, I always bring a cheap tablecloth and clips. This makes clean up a breeze and provides a smooth surface. We also always have a set of camp chairs to set up around the fire.
To cook, we are bringing an old-school camp stove gifted to us by a friend (similar version linked below). This is propane-powered and makes morning coffee a breeze. Previously, we cooked over the fire pit and had our tiny single-burner for boiling water for coffee. Once we have boiling water, we will be using an Aeropress for super strong coffee. We will not skimp on the coffee! We also have this hanging water bag with a little spout to aid in dish washing. Most camp sites have a pole to hang a lantern or trash on. We hang this bag up there for easy access.
And finally, and maybe most importantly, the cooler! Cold drinks and perishable food are a luxury in the wilderness. We are bringing eggs and cheese and fruit on this trip, so we definitely want to keep everything appropriately chilled. We are borrowing my dad’s Yeti for this excursion, which is a big upgrade for us! We figure four nights requires the heavy hitter. If you are coming in with something a little less sophisticated, just make sure you regularly keep your ice stocked. Most camp stores will have ice available for purchase, or a gas station nearby.
Screen Canopy | Tablecloth | Camp Stove | Water Bag | Aeropress | Cooler
Food Prep:
To cover all of the not-so-exciting kitchen essentials, I have included a list of everything that gets thrown into a tupperware bin to help keep camp clean. During this unprecedented pandemic, I will have extra Lysol wipes and hand sanitizer, but know that these are useful regardless of the prevalence of an infectious disease! Another tip - bring way more trash bags than you anticipate needing. Outside of actual trash, they are good for throwing anything wet in at the end of camping if you get rained on before packing up. Just be sure to unpack and dry out your gear as soon as you get home to prevent mold!
Technology Essentials:
We are a tech-friendly household and are early adopters for all the new gadgets. This love extends into camp and we always have a few extra goodies lying around. Our portable speaker comes everywhere with us, along with our solar charging brick. A solar charging brick is a must have item for camping, beach days, music festivals, hiking, etc. We use it endlessly and know it will be a life-saver at this rustic campground with no electric hookups. We also have headlamps for late night bathroom runs, a few flashlights, an LED lantern, Luke’s camera, and lots of charging cables.
Portable Speaker | Solar Charging Brick | Headlamps | Lantern | Camera
Health and Safety Essentials:
If you read our packing list for Banff, you saw our extensive first aid kit. That is coming along with us this time for both camping and hiking. We have lots of extra bug spray, sun screen, anti-histamine and ibuprofen packed. We also are bringing those same microfiber towels for drying off around camp. We are so excited to be up against a creek for quick dips in the water, and these will come in handy for creek baths (this campground is VERY rustic with no showers). Another camp item that can’t be skipped is paracord. This can be used for a clothing line, extra strength to tie down a tent, hoisting gear off the ground, or even pulled into thin thread in a first-aid scenario. We use this one.
And that is just about it! We camp using my Ford Escape and have plenty of room for all of this gear in the back. We will be camping in bear country so we will be storing the cooler and airtight bins for food in the car overnight and whenever we are way from camp. Check back later for photos of our camp set-up and a run down of our adventures in Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
